Episode details

Radio 4,21 May 2026,57 mins
The Future of Food: Can Regenerative Farming Save Our Soil? (Andy Cato)
Radical with Amol RajanAvailable for over a year
This week, guest host Oli Dugmore, speaks to Andy Cato, one half of electronic music duo Groove Armada and a leading advocate for regenerative farming. Andy argues that modern agriculture is reaching a breaking point. He says that a reliance on chemical farming has degraded our ecosystems, taken agency away from farmers, and made us over reliant on fragile international trade systems. Through regenerative farming, he believes it’s possible to restore ecosystems, rebuild soil health and create a more resilient food system for the 21st century. They discuss Andy’s unlikely journey from global touring musician to farmer, including selling his music catalogue to buy land, and the founding of Wildfarmed, a business aiming to help farmers transition to regenerative agriculture while remaining profitable. Andy also explains why he believes traditional farming is no longer sustainable, how a different model could be financed, and what the benefits could be for farmers, consumers and the environment alike.
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